Perhaps you find yourself in a desert place. Perhaps you feel disconnected. Perhaps you are connected but are experiencing no life that is truly life.

It’s a new year. If God wanted to do a new thing in you or around you this year, would you see it or would you miss it? Isaiah 43:19 teaches us how to spot one of God’s new things. “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

I don’t know why I clicked on the link. In fact, today I don’t remember where I saw the link. But what I read has captured my attention for over a month and shaped my contemplations that have resulted in this reflection.

The link I clicked led to a November 2, 2018, Business Insider article about Starbucks. The article reported that more than 80% of the new Starbucks locations opened in 2018 in the United States were drive-thrus. When one considers that the coffee chain’s original brand appeal was a focus on community, providing a place for coffee lovers to gather and connect, the rise of drive-thrus has caught the interest of the business industry

For those of us who follow Jesus, there is also a high cost. In His Word, He tells us that following and serving Him will not be easy. He desires passionate hearts willing to give all for Him, just as those brave airmen had done.